Apologies to Premiership Players

[58er 6,400]

1 hour ago, drdrake said:

There is a pretty long list but to be fair at the time the players had to improve and step up.  My main criticism has always been based around poor kicking skills and selfish football.  To the teams credit our foot skills improved and we became all about team footy.

I do though apologise to James Harmes, after his second turn over in a couple of minutes at the start of the third quarter I had him done, credit to him his kick to Fritsch that started our run was amazing.

I'll admit DR D the kick he had smothered I was right behind and felt he could have handpassef out in front of another player  to collect as he was 2/2 metres in front of Harmes.

But he will now forever be remembered for the exquisite collect and pass over 50 m straight to Fritta 15:/30 metres out on the lead.and to his favoured side. This of course got the now famous "7 in 17 minutes heroics" which ultimately changed the game on its head and we never looked back. 

This without doubt  the best quarter and a half Of Demons footy I have ever been fortunate to see in 62 years going each week from 1965 to 1993  and about 5/6 games each year since from interstate.

Yes Harmesy can forever say he started the run of goals ( 16 out of 17) that changed the Final and resulted in our wonderful drought breaking and so well deserved first AFL premiership and 13th VFL/AFL Flag. 

We are now only 3 behind Blues and Bombers (16) and within 2 of the Pies (15) and equal with Tigers and Hawks in Premierships.

One would have to be confident that we could make inroads into these figures considering our age demographics and talent and team attributes.

 

[daisycutter 29,605]

2 hours ago, 58er said:

That's quite a confession that it's likely you have criticised or blasphemed all of our players?? 

I think the inference was that it needs to be a constant repeated almost torching if a player NOT a statement on a one off match or contest.

Most have criticised players but the constant repetition snd harsh bias directed at players is a different matter which I think this is the area where an apology is considered necessary.

Criticism about career ending or trade offs or dropping to the VFL or quite vicious attacks personally towards certain players eg ANB , Charlie Spargo and most unfortunately even Jack Biney come to mind.

Around 2019 even Trac had people calling for him to be traded and Clarry even managed to get a few when the " "Carlton move" hit the posts last year.

of course Goody had faced more than most over the journey with 2019 and 2020 resulting in nearly every one having an opinion on our now much loved and history making Coach. No wonder he was thinking the things in 2019 snd his  future in the game!!! 
 

i never ever saw a bad comment made re jack biney 😀

[Pates 9,660]

I would say sorry to Spargo and ANB, Nibbler in particular. 

For Spargypants, I felt he had just about toasted his career with us with the 2019 round 1 game vs West Coast. He had an improved second half of the year which made me rethink his position at the club (and I knew the club rated him highly) but I had him as a player that fell into the best 25 category, and would be in and out of the team for most of this season. I was totally wrong about that, and I realised that in the early rounds. He's a total gem and crucial to our forward line, I was genuinely worried when I heard he'd hurt himself in the scratch match. So glad to say he's a premiership player.

For Nibbler, where to begin. He's been a whipping boy in the past on D-Land, and I have joined in the chorus of people saying his NQR. He is the best example of how important your bottom 6 players are to a premiership team, he doesn't do anything flashy or super silky like the Petracca's of the world, but jeez you can never question his passion and his work ethic. I had thought 2018 was his ceiling and that he couldn't replicate it, but he's someone that just goes about his business and gets the reward through that effort. Felt he should've been trade bait this time last year, so happy he wasn't.

Also a small apology to Fritta, only because I felt his inaccuracy (last season) would mean he would only become a decent bit part forward. FMD 6 goals in a Grand Final, couldn't be more wrong! 

[deegirl 1,577]

You guys are only listing players?  I have apologise to the entire list, coaching staff & admin 😂

 

Harmes - called him the dumbest footballer alive (on multiple occasions)

Trac - season 2019 I was worried he'd be another Colin Sylvia/Jacks Watts - lots of potential but no consistency

Jackson - didn't bag him, but as he's so young expected his form to be up & down

Viney - Extremely critical of his left-sidedness.  And his form this season after he returned from injury (when he was in peak 'see ball, get ball' mode). 

Lever - circa 2019 I called him an expensive half-back flanker

Spargo -  called him a slow midget 

Brayshaw - questioned what the hell had happened to him since 2018

Clarry -  seriously questioned his haircut choices

Hibberd - thought he was done

McDonald - thought he was done + questioned what the hell had happened to him since 2018.  Put [censored] on his all meat diet. 

ANB - had him in the 'athlete but not a footballer' bucket

Fritsch - criticised his set shot kicking...a lot

Sparrow - just wasn't sure

Pickett - given his tough start to the year I didn't expect him to hold his senior spot all season

Brown - put [censored] on his veganism 

Goodwin - thought he didn't show enough intensity

Richardson - questioned what the hell it was he did

Stafford - when we'd been so inaccurate in 2020 i wondered why an ex-ruckman was our goal kicking coach (yes, I'm aware of the soft cap restrictions)

Pert - catergosied him as a general [censored]...and i never liked him as a player 😁

 

 

 

 

 

[Bobby McKenzie 2,383]

4 hours ago, Pates said:

I would say sorry to Spargo and ANB, Nibbler in particular. 

For Spargypants, I felt he had just about toasted his career with us with the 2019 round 1 game vs West Coast. He had an improved second half of the year which made me rethink his position at the club (and I knew the club rated him highly) but I had him as a player that fell into the best 25 category, and would be in and out of the team for most of this season. I was totally wrong about that, and I realised that in the early rounds. He's a total gem and crucial to our forward line, I was genuinely worried when I heard he'd hurt himself in the scratch match. So glad to say he's a premiership player.

For Nibbler, where to begin. He's been a whipping boy in the past on D-Land, and I have joined in the chorus of people saying his NQR. He is the best example of how important your bottom 6 players are to a premiership team, he doesn't do anything flashy or super silky like the Petracca's of the world, but jeez you can never question his passion and his work ethic. I had thought 2018 was his ceiling and that he couldn't replicate it, but he's someone that just goes about his business and gets the reward through that effort. Felt he should've been trade bait this time last year, so happy he wasn't.

Also a small apology to Fritta, only because I felt his inaccuracy (last season) would mean he would only become a decent bit part forward. FMD 6 goals in a Grand Final, couldn't be more wrong! 

To say ANB is a dedicated Demon is a huge understatement. He is nearly always the first to congratulate a teammate after a goal or good play. Watch him run in behind Max's deciding kick for goal in round 23.He  has become a regular in this super strong team.

[Bimbo 940]

Forgive me Demonlanders for i have also sinned.

Many years ago i was heard to mutter:

"The only good thing Max Gawn will ever do for this club was to puke on Tom Scully"

I think i got it wrong.

[durango 2,005]

If you watch the last quarter of the Grand Final ANB was so intense that after Fritsch kicked his 5th goal I presume he said the 'game is not over yet' he reminded the player was still plenty of time left for a boilover.

Edited October 12, 2021 by durango

[58er 6,400]

23 hours ago, daisycutter said:

i never ever saw a bad comment made re jack biney 😀

One bloke calls him a rugby player !!

Some others have lined Jack up Ho to the Trade Jack Biney I think or Drop Jack Biney posts and you will see.

Nsyurally most if not all have gone to ground in light of the steams fzbulois form and results. 

[Demonstone 22,338]

Your spellchecker may need a tune-up, 58er.

[Graeme Yeats' Mullet 6,772]

Spargo really for me - after one, of not many, good games in 2020 I recall remarking that even the Sun shines on a dogs @ss once in it's life... He's been adequate I guess... 😏

ANB I always had faith in, he has been playing the 2-way run role for 4 years and it's been a crucial part of the success - He's got another gear look out

Brayshaw on the wing has been a master-stroke, took him a bit to fill the role but wow

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,762]

On 10/11/2021 at 6:47 PM, 58er said:

.  To the teams credit our foot skills improved and we became all about team footy.

I believe we entered the grand final with the second worst kicking efficiency in the league - you work with what you've got and play a game style that suits.

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,762]

3 hours ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Spargo really for me - after one, of not many, good games in 2020 I recall remarking that even the Sun shines on a dogs @ss once in it's life... He's been adequate I guess... 😏

ANB I always had faith in, he has been playing the 2-way run role for 4 years and it's been a crucial part of the success - He's got another gear look out

I'm the opposite.

Although I'm not one to publically criticise, I always saw ANB as a weak link - a bit fumbly and average decision-making.

Spargo has shown elite skills and decision-making since game 1. He just needed to find a way to get around it.

Overall though, I don't think these guys have improved markedly. They're the same players but they're playing in a team that allows their strengths to shine and their weaknesses to be masked by a system with a built-in margin for error.

Fair or not, if the system falls apart, these guys are likely to go straight back to being whipping boys.

[deejammin' 2,370]

A slightly left field one.

I apologise to H Petty. At his first game, a very disappointing loss to the Saints by 2 points in round 15 2018. My Dad and I sitting in the stands had a lengthy discussion centring on why Harry wasn’t up to it and wasn’t a defender. 
Sorry Harry! Proved us so very, very wrong!!

[Nasher 33,608]

I don’t owe anyone apologies because I never bag or abuse Melbourne players. I was very late to recognise Charlie Spargo’s contribution to the team though and thought his place in the side was tenuous as late as mid season. Jumped on the bandwagon just as the doors were closing. (Do bandwagons have doors?)

[frankie_d 1,471]

On 10/11/2021 at 5:14 PM, DubDee said:

Definitely Petty for me. His debut at the G had some very shaky moments. I didn’t think he had the temperament Or composure to make it

HOW WRONG WAS I?!?

Yep, me too. A couple of flubbed kicks in the first quarter of that game, and I was a serious doubter.

Very very wrong.

[frankie_d 1,471]

TMac is the only bloke in the pack to get his hand on the ball and it spills to Petracca. Not mentioned in the commentary. And of course he got Cordy out of the way for Sparrow's goal

Viney at the both the centre clearance - I just don't see how anyone can keep their bearings in that chaos and do what he did.

I've been down on both of them over the journey - wrong.